MONTREAL -- Via Rail and the Unifor union announced on Saturday a new agreement in principle concerning the renewal of a collective agreement for more than 2,400 workers.
The deal covers maintenance workers, onboard service personnel, chefs, sales agents and customer service personnel working for the rail company.
“Several advances have been made in the area of workers rights,” said Unifor's Quebec director, Renaud Gagne. “Within the current context of the pandemic, our members have been greatly affected.”
The two parties did not disclose the terms of the agreement, which still need to be ratified by the union's members. Votes will be held over the next few weeks.
The two-year agreement replaces the one that expired on Dec. 31, 2019. Unifor said negotiations began in October, 2019 and have been conducted remotely in recent months, with the help of mediators appointed by the federal government.
In a statement, Via Rail management said they were happy to have reached the agreement.
“We look forward to its ratification,” said Head of Financial Services Patricia Jasmine. “This positive step reflects the commitment and hard work that both parties have show through this process.”
